Pilot to create Glyphosate-free play areas welcomed as positive step

The pilot focuses on reducing the use of glyphosate-based herbicides and trailing alternative approaches to weed management in selected play areas. This will allow the Council to better understand how different methods perform in real conditions, while continuing to ensure sites remain safe, accessible and well maintained.

Reducing reliance on chemical herbicides supports the Council’s wider environmental ambitions, helping to protect soil health, support insects and pollinators, and create more resilient green spaces across the district. This pilot builds on the Council’s wider efforts to reduce its reliance on chemical weed control, with overall glyphosate use already reduced by around 60 litres in the last 12 months.

As part of the pilot, weed management will rely on alternative methods such as increased mechanical sweeping, manual weeding and adjusted grounds maintenance regimes. Similar approaches are already being used in parts of the district where reducing chemical use has helped support wildlife and improve soil and water quality without compromising public safety.

These methods require more active management and public understanding that some areas will look slightly different, particularly during peak growing seasons, but they offer long‑term environmental benefits that align with wider climate and biodiversity commitments.

Councillor Simon Forde, Portfolio Holder for Climate and the Environment at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “This pilot is a big step forward in how we manage our green spaces and reflects our aim to reduce the routine use of chemicals where we can find viable alternatives. By replacing glyphosate with weeding by hand in thirty-four play parks, we will be reducing potentially dangerous exposure to children (and everyone) of herbicides, improve soil health and improve the environment, whilst still maintaining high standards across our public spaces.

“This increases tenfold the acreage where we use manual weeding. And we are using much more targeted spraying generally, on verges and suchlike. Overall, our use of glyphosate will go down from 320 litres a year to 200. We will trial this approach and learn lessons next year to see how we go forward then.”

The areas the pilot will cover include:

• Bridge Community Centre Play Area, Newark
• Chestnut Avenue Multi Sports Area, Newark
• Clipsham Close Play Area, Balderton
• Dodsley Way Play Area, Clipstone
• Grove Street Play Area, Balderton
• Hawtonville CC Multisports Area
• Hilcote Drive Play Area, Clipstone
• Lincoln Road Playing Field, Newark
• Mead Way Play Area, Balderton
• Old Tannery Drive, Lowdham
• Sconce & Devon Park Fitness Trail, Newark
• Sconce Hills Park Play Area, Newark
• Southfields Play Area, Balderton
• Thorpe Oaks Play Area, Coddington
• Vicar Water Country Park, Clipstone
• Alexander Lodge, Newark
• Bramley Close Play Area, Southwell
• Byron Close Play Area, Hawtonville
• Chatham Court Play Area, Newark
• Cherry Holt Play Area, Hawtonville
• Cleveland Green Play Area, Hawtonville
• Clifton House Play Park, Hawtonville
• Derbyshire Close Play Area, Harby
• Fleming Drive play Area, Newark
• Forge Close Play Area, North Muskham
• Hallam Road Play Area 1, Ollerton
• Hallam Road Play Area 2, Ollerton
• Lawrence Street Play Area, Newark
• Queens Court Play Area, Newark
• South View Flats Play Park, Balderton
• Stafford Avenue Play Area, Balderton
• Thorpe Close Play Area, Coddington
• Turner Lane Park, Boughton
• Wellow Green Homeless Unit Play Area